Poliklinik Optimal Health

Had the pĺeasure to serve as a moderator for a couple of talks at the Healthcare Revolution Conference & Exhibition at Sime Darby Convention Centre.

New at Poliklinik Optimal Health! 🩺

We are excited to introduce FibroScan, a cutting-edge, non-invasive technology to assess liver health. Say goodbye to painful biopsies and hello to quick, accurate results! Whether you have chronic liver disease, hepatitis, or just want to keep an eye on your liver health, FibroScan is here for you.

👉 Book your appointment today and take control of your liver health! Call 016-229 6116

What is FATTY LIVER DISEASE?

A Guide to Healthy Circadian Rhythm Eating during Ramadan month.

Happy International Women's Day 2024

This photo was taken during the pre-walk briefing at our most recent “Walk With A Doc” event at Swan Lake Park, Semenyih on the 18th of February 2024. This time, the topic was about the powerful synergy between intermittent fasting and continuous glucose monitoring (CGM).
We can’t change something that we aren’t aware of. When it comes to blood glucose levels, the use of CGM (continuous glucose monitoring) is an effective tool to gain an accurate picture of our metabolic health.
When we keep track of our glucose levels, we are more aware of the excursions (up or down) of our blood glucose. If we rely mainly on fasting blood glucose and HbA1c (glycated hemoglobin), we may have a false sense of our metabolic state. It is possible to have normal values of fasting blood glucose or HbA1c levels yet have deranged post meal glucose levels. Using the CGM, we can easily monitor the 2HPP (2 hours post-prandial/meal blood glucose) which is a more relevant indicator of our metabolic health.
A couple of our patients (diabetics, who are on medication) have given me permission to share their results using the CGM. They exemplify how simple changes make a big difference and what’s possible when we prioritize our health. Some of the changes incorporated were making sure each carbohydrate meal is “dressed” in fibre, i.e., eating vegetables first, before having carbohydrates, portion control, time restricted eating (eating in tune with Circadian rhythm) and incorporating light physical activity post-meal. Within just one week, one of them managed to wean herself off medication. They had astonishing improvements in their glucose levels and felt better overall. Perhaps even more remarkable is their newfound freedom from the grip of unhealthy food cravings. Sleep quality improved, as well as mood and mental clarity.
Their success stories serve as proof positive that with the right tools and guidance, profound changes are not only possible but within reach for everyone. As we reflect on their transformative journey, let's celebrate the power of education and personal empowerment. Together, we're rewriting the script on health and wellness, one step at a time. Join us as we continue to walk, talk, and inspire one another to reach new heights of health and vitality!

The DLP (Diabetes Lifestyle Programme) is an excellent self-directed programme that individuals with diabetes can access via their healthcare providers who are DLP advocates. It's an asynchronous programme that is conducted over 12 weeks. It is very informative and covers various topics such as nutrition, exercise and blood glucose monitoring among others. DLP advocates can register their patients into the programme. The programme itself is free but requires access to a smart phone and internet connection. Please do contact us for more information regarding the Diabetes Lifestyle Programme.

The DLP Patient Digital Education & Support Web-Based App

This photo was taken during the pre-walk briefing at our most recent “Walk With A Doc” event at Swan Lake Park, Semenyih on the 18th of February 2024. This time, the topic was about the powerful synergy between intermittent fasting and continuous glucose monitoring (CGM).
We can’t change something that we aren’t aware of. When it comes to blood glucose levels, the use of the CGM (continuous glucose monitoring) is an effective tool to gain an accurate picture of our metabolic health.
When we keep track of our glucose levels, we are more aware of the excursions (up or down) of our blood glucose. If we rely mainly on fasting blood glucose and HbA1c (glycated haemoglobin), we may have a false sense of our metabolic state. It is possible to have normal values of fasting blood glucose or HbA1c levels yet have deranged post meal glucose levels. Using the CGM, we can easily monitor the 2HPP (2 hours post-prandial/meal blood glucose) which is a more relevant indicator of our metabolic health.
A couple of our patients (diabetics, who are on medication) have given me permission to share their results using the CGM. They exemplify how simple changes make a big difference and what’s possible when we prioritize our health. Some of the changes incorporated were making sure each carbohydrate meal is “dressed” in fibre, i.e., eating vegetables first, before having carbohydrates, portion control, time restricted eating (eating in tune with Circadian rhythm) and incorporating light physical activity post-meal. Within just one week, one of them managed to wean herself off medication. They had astonishing improvements in their glucose levels and felt better overall. Perhaps even more remarkable is their newfound freedom from the grip of unhealthy food cravings. Sleep quality improved, as well as mood and mental clarity.
Their success stories serve as proof positive that with the right tools and guidance, profound changes are not only possible but within reach for everyone. As we reflect on their transformative journey, let's celebrate the power of education and personal empowerment. Together, we're rewriting the script on health and wellness, one step at a time. Join us as we continue to walk, talk, and inspire one another to reach new heights of health and vitality!

🌟 Big News from Poliklinik Optimal Health! 🌟

Hi! We're excited to share our brand new website with you:

https://www.optimalhealth.com.my

🚀 What's New?

User-Friendly Experience 📱
Lifestyle Medicine Prescriptions for Disease Reversal 🍏
Advanced Digital Health Tools 🔍
Easy GP Home Visits Booking 🏠
Personalized Health Coaching 🧘
We've designed it with your wellness journey in mind. Check it out and let us know what you think! Your feedback is invaluable to us.

optimalhealth.com

FibroScan is available again this week at Poliklinik Optimal Health.

Role of Mental Health in the Management of Obesity by Dr. Reshma Stanislaus

Eat right and exercise.
Should be simple, right?
Reduce sugar intake.
Consume a variety of food, predominantly whole food and plant based.
Limit/eliminate processed food and food with trans fat in them.
Eat complex carbs with a lower GI.
Ask any overweight/obese person. They could probably write a book on weight loss/maintenance.
It's not for the lack of knowledge or information out there, although that is sometimes the case as access to accurate information varies.
However, if someone has the knowledge yet still makes choices that result in poorer health outcomes, we have to ask why.
What do ACEs (adverse chilhood experiences) have to do with it?
PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder)?
ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder)?
Addiction? Over-consumption of sugar (including those hidden in alcohol) leads to very visible consequences, unlike other, less visible addictions/coping mechanisms.
Eating disorders?
The effect of built environment?
The access or lack thereof to fresh, whole food?
Most people can state WHY they want something, in this case, having a healthy body composition. It may be more relevant to ask, "WHY NOT?" as it's important to address the barriers that prevent someone from making choices that result in better health outcomes.

Microbiome & Gut Health by Dr. Reshma Stanislaus

If the buzzword amongst health and wellness circles in recent years has been “Intermittent Fasting”, “Time Restricted Eating”, “Circadian Rhythm” and “Whole Food, Plant Based”, the WORD for 2024 must be “Microbiome”.

The importance of the microbiome on overall health and well-being cannot be emphasized enough. The microbiome consists of trillions of cells, and it is the diversity of these cells that confers multiple health benefits.

As it turns out, the diversity of our microbiome is impacted by factors that are well within our locus of control. A diet that is nutritious and has probiotics, as well as prebiotics (food for the probiotics, i.e., fruits and vegetables), will produce postbiotics (such as butyrate, a short-chained fatty acid) that have a positive impact on our cognitive abilities and mental health, besides reducing inflammation in the body. Chronic inflammation, after all, is what drives the formation of diseases.

So, How Do We Reset Our Gut for Health?

1) Consume a PREDOMINANTLY whole food, plant-based diet. Make sure to include food that has natural probiotics such as yoghurt, kefir, and kombucha as well as fermented food such as kimchi, sauerkraut, and tempeh.
2) Exercise (minimum amount is 150 minutes per week):
Numerous studies have shown that moderate exercise increases the number of beneficial bacteria, increases the microbial diversity of the gut, and improves the development of commensal bacteria.
3) Effective stress management.
4) Adequate and restful sleep.
5) Nurture positive relationships:
Did you know that people who spend a lot of time together, share similar microbiota? Instead of you being the average of the 5 people you spend the most time with, it may well be your microbiota that is the average of the five people’s microbiota you spend the most time with.
6) Avoid/limit harmful substances such as alcohol, cigarette smoke, and illicit drugs.

Please do reach out to us if you would like to find out more about how to reset your gut for health. We have individualized programmes that utilize lifestyle medicine prescriptions amongst other interventions.

Stress-free diabetes management for you and your loved ones.

"Atomic Habits" & Lifestyle Medicine by Dr. Reshma Stanislaus

James Clear's "Atomic Habits" offers invaluable insights that can be easily incorporated into the 6 pillars of lifestyle medicine. Let’s explore how the four laws of habit formation, i.e.; Cue, Craving, Response, and Reward or in simpler terms, making something OBVIOUS, ATTRACTIVE, EASY, and SATISFYING, can be applied to lifestyle medicine:

1. Nutrition:
The first pillar, nutrition, is often where small habit changes can yield significant results. We can start by for example, by introducing a portion of fruit and vegetables into each meal, instead of having a whole list of food items to be avoided. This approach aligns with the idea of making changes that are so small they are almost imperceptible, thus EASY enough to do, ensuring consistency and long-term adherence.

2. Physical Activity:
"Atomic Habits" teaches us the power of consistency. It’s more beneficial to commit to a moderate, daily exercise routine rather than an intense regimen that's hard to maintain. Setting a regular time and place for exercise by joining a class or a group of like-minded individuals can make the activity more ATTRACTIVE and an automatic part of our routine.

3. Managing Stress:
Stress management is crucial for well-being. Clear suggests habit stacking – pairing a new habit with an existing one. We could stack a few minutes of meditation or deep breathing exercises onto an existing daily habit, after brushing our teeth in the morning. This strategy makes new habits stick more effectively.

4. Restful Sleep:
Quality sleep is often a product of our pre-sleep routines. Creating a habit of unwinding before bed; be it through reading, light stretching, or a technology-free hour can significantly enhance sleep quality. This aligns with Clear's principle of designing your environment to make good habits more effortless and the OBVIOUS choice.

5. Positive Social Connections:
Habits of engagement: Building and maintaining positive social connections can be facilitated by habitual interactions. This might mean scheduling regular calls with loved ones or joining a community group. By making these interactions habitual, we ensure the consistency needed to nurture these relationships that make them SATISFYING.

6. Avoiding Substance Abuse:
This pillar resonates with Clear's idea of replacing a bad habit with a good one, not just eliminating the former. If the habit is to have a drink to relax, it could be replaced with a healthier alternative by changing the other elements of habit formation (making it less obvious, easy, attractive, or satisfying to have that drink).
Incorporating the principles from "Atomic Habits" into lifestyle medicine not only enhances the effectiveness of these interventions but also ensures compliance. As we strive for better health outcomes, understanding and leveraging the power of habits is essential. Ultimately, these changes have to be sustainable to have a positive impact.

Looking for expert advice on parental burnout? Join us this Sunday, 21 May, for an enlightening Health Talk by Dr. Reshma. Discover effective strategies to manage stress and find balance in your parenting journey. Afterward, take a refreshing Walk with a Doc and enjoy the benefits of physical activity while engaging in meaningful conversations. See you at the Eco Majestic Sales Gallery!

Register Now! - https://forms.gle/NXiBMwUQpWj2uz1f6

Do come for the FREE talk about Parental Burnout!

The 15th-21st of May is Mental Health Awareness Week and the whole month of May is Maternal Mental Health month. In keeping with this theme, I will be speaking about Parental Burnout this weekend at the Eco Majestic Sales Gallery Lounge, before our Walk With A Doc event at Swan Lake. The awareness regarding burnout at work (and what to do about it) is increasing. However, it is possible to experience burnout in other scenarios besides the workplace, i.e.; basically in any context where stressors outweigh available support. I will be speaking about the signs (of Parental Burnout) to look out for, consequences (if left alone) of it, as well as how to mitigate stress so that it doesn't lead to burnout and steps to take to recover from burnout (if already present). Looking forward to it!

Selamat Berpuasa!

We hosted our 2nd Walk With A Doc on the 5th of March 2023. This time, I talked about mental and physical health, how each affect the other and how ACEs (adverse childhood experiences) affect both. An ACE can be due to abuse (physical/emotional/sexual), neglect (physical/emotional) and/or household challenges. Household challenges include households where there is mental illness, incarceration, intimate partner violence, parental separation/divorce or substance misuse/abuse. ACEs affect people at different ages in different ways. In adults, a higher ACE score is associated with increased risk of chronic illnesses, such as diabetes, cancer, autoimmune conditions as well as an increased risk of suicide.The importance of awareness was reinforced, as only when we are aware, can we take steps in order to mitigate the risk of developing chronic diseases and to break the cycle of toxic stress.

come and walk with us